Machine for extracting contents from envelopes

ABSTRACT

Machine for extracting the contents from envelopes for presentation to an operator. The envelopes are stacked at an input station and fed one at a time from the input station to a cutting station. At the cutting station, the envelopes are severed along their edge portions to provide access to the contents. From the cutting station, the envelopes are transported to a separating station, where the contents are separated from the envelopes. The contents from one envelope at a time are conveyed to a pick-up station for presentation to an operator at a work station. When the operator removes the contents of one envelope from the pick-up station, the contents of another envelope are conveyed to that station and presented to the operator. As each envelope leaves the separating station, it is checked to verify that the contents have been removed.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/346,647 filed May 3,1989, now abandoned.

This invention pertains generally to mail processing equipment and, moreparticularly, to a machine and method for extracting contents fromenvelopes for processing by an operator.

Many banks and other businesses receive monthly payments from theircustomers through the mail in the form of checks and payment coupons inenvelopes which they have provided. In order to process large volumes ofsuch mail efficiently, a number of machines have been provided to openthe envelopes and facilitate the removal of the contents therefrom. Allof the machines heretofore provided for this purpose, however, have hadcertain limitations and disadvantages.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,979,844, 4,139,977, 4,159,611, 4,271,656, 4,319,444 and4,333,300 disclose envelope processing machines in which the envelopesare serially presented to a station in the machine where the contentsare manually removed by an operator. The front and rear panels of theenvelopes are held apart by suction cups to make it easier for theoperator to grasp the contents. These machines generally cannot deliverthe contents to a station located on or above the operator's desk orother work station, and the operator must turn away from the desk orwork station in order to get to the station where the contents arepresented. In addition, the operator must manually remove the contentsfrom the envelopes.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,010 disclosed an envelope opening and emptyingmachine which cuts off the two ends of an envelope, then turns theenvelope to a vertical position so that the contents will fall out bygravity.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,797,350, 4,527,455 and 4,553,459 disclose machines foropening envelopes. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,350, the envelopes areconveyed in successive order transversely through the teeth of a cuttersimilar to a circular saw blade to cut open one edge of each envelope.In U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,455, the ends of the envelopes are cut off in ashearing action by knife blades, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,459 theenvelope is rotated to present successive edges to a cutter.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,016,708 and 4,295,321 disclose envelope openingmachines having an extractor for removing contents from envelopes. InU.S. Pat. No. 4,016,708, the envelopes are opened by a so-called"chadless cutter" which cuts through only one panel of each envelope,with the other panel remaining intact, while in U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,321,the ends of the envelopes are severed by cutting wheels in a shearingaction. In both patents, the envelopes are separated from the contentsby a vacuum drum, and the contents are discharge toward the front of themachine, where they are picked up manually by the operator.

In order to avoid inadvertently throwing away checks or payment couponswith the envelopes, some machines have been provided with means forchecking the envelopes before they are discarded to make certain thatthey are empty. U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,105 discloses a device for detectingthe presence of contents by the opacity of the envelopes, and U.S. Pat.No. 4,576,287 discloses a machine for detecting contents by thethickness of the envelopes.

It is in general an object of the invention to provide a new andimproved machine and method for extracting contents from envelopes andpresenting the same to an operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine and method ofthe above character which overcome the limitations and disadvantages ofextracting machines heretofore provided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine and method ofthe above character in which the contents are presented to an operatorat his/her own work station so that the operator does not have to leavethat station in order to process the contents.

These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention bystacking the envelopes to be processed at an input station, feeding theenvelopes one at a time from the input station to a cutting station,severing the envelopes along edge portions thereof at the cuttingstation to provide access to the contents, transporting the envelopesfrom the cutting station to a separating station, separating thecontents from the envelopes at the separating station, and conveying theseparated contents from one envelope at a time as a set to a pick-upstation for presentation to an operator at a work station. When theoperator removes the contents of one envelope from the pick-up station,the contents of another envelope are conveyed to that station andpresented to the operator. As each envelope leaves the separatingstation, it is checked to verify that the contents have been removedfrom it.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a machine forprocessing envelopes in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic side elevational view of a portion of themachine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the output conveyor in theembodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 in FIG.6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the empty envelope verifier inthe embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 10-13 are operational views of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the machine has a generally rectangularbase cabinet 16 with an output conveyor 17 extending laterallytherefrom. The base cabinet is provided with casters 18 which facilitatemovement and height adjustment of the machine to position the outer endof conveyor 17 over or in front of a desk or other work station. Cabinet16 has a lower section with a hinged front door 19, and an upper sectionwith a hinged top cover 20, a hinged front panel 21 and removable sidecovers 22, 23. The top cover is hingedly mounted to the frame of themachine along the rear edge of the cover, and it can be raised toprovide access to the upper portion of the machine. The front panel ishingedly mounted at the top, and it can be raised to provide access toan output chute through which the contents of the envelopes aredischarged. In one presently preferred embodiment, the top cover isfabricated of a transparent material to permit visual observation of theprocessing of envelopes in the upper portion of the machine.

Envelopes 31 to be processed are stacked at a input station 32 towardthe rear of the machine. Before being stacked, the envelopes are cutopen along one long edge thereof (e.g., the top edge or the bottomedge), and the envelopes are placed in the stack with the cut edgesfacing toward the front of the machine and the contents of the envelopes(e.g., checks, payment coupons, etc.) still between the front and rearpanels of the envelopes.

The stack of envelopes is formed between a pair of upright guide plates33 with inwardly extending flanges 34 along the front edges thereof. Aninclined rear guide 36 urges the envelopes which are toward the bottomof the stack in a forward direction. The lateral positions of the guideplates can be adjusted to accommodate envelopes of different lengths,and the position of rear guide 36 can be adjusted to accommodateenvelopes of different widths or heights.

A pair of feed rollers 37 with peripheral pads 38 are positioned beneaththe forward portion of the input station for feeding the envelopes oneat a time from the stack toward a cutting station 39. Pads 38 project ina radial direction from the feed rollers and have an arc length on theorder of 2 inches. Upon rotation of the feed rollers in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in FIG. 2, pads 38 engage the lowermost envelope inthe stack and feed it in a forward direction. Separator stones 41prevent the second envelope in the stack from moving forward with thefirst envelope.

Pinch rollers 42, 43 receive the envelope from the feed rollers and feedit forward to a "ready" position to the rear of cutting station 39. InFIG. 2, an envelope 31' is shown in the "ready" position.

From the "ready" position, the envelopes are fed to the cutting stationby lugs 44 on conveyor chains 46 which are spaced about 4.7 inches apartand positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of the centerline of themachine. The chains are trained about horizontally separated sprockets47, 48, and the drive lugs extend from the chains in a generallyperpendicular direction. As the lugs traverse the upper runs of thechains, they tend to square up the envelope in the "ready" position andpush it forward into the cutting station.

The cutting station has left and right edge cutter assemblies each ofwhich includes pinch rollers 51, 52 which receive the envelope from theconveyor chains and feed it through the cutting station. As the envelopepasses through the cutting station, the end portions of the envelope aretrimmed off by cutting wheels 53, 54.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the pinch rollers and cutting wheels aremounted on carriages 56 which can be adjusted laterally for envelopes ofdifferent lengths. The carriages are positioned by means of a lead screw57 having oppositely threaded portions which engage the two carriages tomove them concurrently in inward or outward directions.

On each side of the cutting station, pinch roller 52 and cutting wheel54 are affixed to a shaft 58 which is rotatively driven by a drive belt59 and pulleys 61, 62. Pulleys 61 are elongated, and belts 59 travelalong these pulleys as the carriages are moved in and out.

Pinch roller 51 is mounted on a bracket 63 which is affixed to thecarriage. Cutting wheel 53 is mounted on a floating axle 64 and is urgedinto facial engagement with cutting wheel 54 by a spring 66 which bearsagainst the outer end of the axle.

A chaff chute 67 is positioned beneath the cutting station for receivingthe end pieces which are cut off the envelopes. The chaff chute isinclined in a downward direction toward the rear of the machine, and awastebasket or other suitable receptacle (not shown) is placed behindthe machine to receive the pieces of material which drop onto the chutefrom the cutting station.

By the time the envelopes leave the cutting station, they have beentrimmed along their leading edges and the adjacent side or end edges.Thus, the front and rear panels of the envelopes are joined togetheronly along their trailing edges, and the two panels can be separated toprovide access to the contents which are still between the panels.

Pinch rollers 51, 52 deliver the envelopes from the cutting station to aseparating station 69 which is positioned immediately in front of thecutting station. At the separating station, a plurality of segmentedrollers 71 and suction cups 72 are mounted on a laterally extendingshaft 73 for rotation about a horizontal axis. Each of the segmentedrollers has a circular peripheral surface 74 which extends through anarc length of approximately 285° and a flat surface which extends in achordal direction between the ends of the curved surface. The suctioncups are positioned between the segmented rollers, with the heads of thesuction cups being aligned generally with the curved surfaces of therollers.

Shaft 73 has an axially extending vacuum passageway 77 whichcommunicates with passageways (not shown) in the suction cups. Theapplication of vacuum to the suction cups is controlled by a valveassembly 78 positioned toward one end of shaft 73. The valve assemblyincludes a valve body 79 having a main bore 80 through which the shaftpasses. An insert member 81 provides a fluid-tight seal between thestationary valve body and the rotating shaft. Vacuum is applied to thevalve assembly from a vacuum pump 82 located in the lower portion ofcabinet 16 through a line (not shown) connected to an inlet port 84 inthe valve body. Shaft 73 has a pair of aligned radial bores 86, 87 whichcommunicate with axial bore 77, with bore 86 being of greater diameterthan bore 87. Vent openings 88, 89 are formed in the valve body andaligned with each other on opposite sides of shaft 73.

Shaft 73 rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5. As theshaft rotates and bore 86 is in communication with inlet port 84, vacuumis applied to the suction cups. This vacuum continues to be applieduntil bore 87 is in communication with vent opening 88, at which pointthe vacuum is released. Any vacuum applied to the suction cups as bore87 passes inlet port 84 is released when the small bore passes ventopening 89. Thus, in the rest position of the suction cups and valveassembly, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, no vacuum is applied to the cups.The amount of vacuum applied to the cups is adjusted so that the lowerpanels of the envelopes are pulled down, but not the contents.

The separator station also includes a pair of crowned rollers 91 which,together with segmented rollers 71, function as corrugating rollers tostiffen the envelopes and their contents. Rollers 91 are mounted betweenrollers 71 on a shaft 92 which is spaced from and generally parallel toshaft 73. Each of the crowned rollers has a V-shaped peripheral surface,as best seen in FIG. 4. The crowned rollers are aligned generally withsuction cups 72, and a pinch roller 93 is positioned between the crownedrollers in peripheral engagement with the curved surface of the centralsegmented roller 71.

A second pinch roller 94 is positioned in front of the central segmentedroller 71 for peripheral engagement with the curved surface of thatroller as it rotates past it. As discussed more fully hereinafter, pinchroller 93 cooperates with the segmented roller to feed envelopes intothe separator station, and roller 94 cooperates with the segmentedroller to feed the envelopes out of the separator station.

As the envelopes pass through the separator station, suction cups 72pull the lower panel of the envelope in a downward direction away fromthe upper panel and the contents. Crowned rollers 91 stiffen thecontents by corrugating them, and the stiffened contents tend to travelin a straight or horizontal direction as they leave the nip formedbetween pinch roller 93 and segmented roller 71, while the lower panelof the envelope is pulled in a downward direction by pinch roller 94.

An output chute 96 is positioned in front of the separating station forreceiving the contents which are separated from the envelopes at thatstation. This chute is inclined in a downward direction toward the frontof the machine.

A plurality of scrubbing rollers 97 are spaced along a laterallyextending shaft 98 above the upper end of the output chute. Theserollers are positioned to engage the undersides of the contents as theyemerge from the separating station and facilitate their separation fromthe envelopes and delivery to the output chute. They are fabricated ofrubber or another material having a surface with a relatively highcoefficient of friction. In one presently preferred embodiment, two suchrollers are provided, but any suitable number can be employed.

Output conveyor 17 is positioned beneath the lower end of dischargechute 96 for carrying the contents from the discharge chute to a workstation. The conveyor has a horizontally extending frame 101 ofgenerally U-shaped cross-section which is mounted on cabinet 16 incantilevered fashion. The conveyor includes a pair of belts 102, 103which are trained about rollers 104 mounted on axles 106 between theside flanges of frame 101. The belts are driven by drive motor 107, 108mounted on the rear side of the frame with output shafts 107a, 108a inperipheral driving engagement with drive rollers 109, 111 affixed to theroller axles 106 at the input ends of the two belts. The two belts arealigned with each other, with the input end of belt 103 in proximity tothe output end of belt 102 for receiving contents from belt 102. Frame101 extends beyond the output end of belt 103, and a pick-up station isformed between the end of the belt 103 and the frame. Belt 102 thusserves to convey the contents from discharge chute 96 to belt 103, andbelt 103 conveys the contents to the pick-up station for removal by anoperator at the work station.

The conveyor has front and rear panels 116, 117 which form a trough 118having a vertical front wall 119 and an inclined rear wall 121 above thebelts and in the pick-up station. A backrest 122 extends upwardly andrearwardly from the trough to help support the contents in a generallyupright position as they are carried by the belts.

Means is provided for sensing the presence or absence of contents onbelt 103 and at pick-up station 121. This means includes a first pair ofoptical sensors 123 positioned above the belt and a second pair ofoptical sensors 124 at the pick-up station. Each of the optical sensorsincludes a light source 126 and a sensor 127 positioned on oppositesides of the trough. Additional optical sensors (not shown) are providedfor detecting the arrival of envelopes and contents at the separatingstation 69 and at the top of discharge chute 96.

As discussed more fully hereinafter, belt 103 runs continuously whilethe machine is operating, whereas belt 102 operates only upon command bythe operator or when the operator removes the contents of an envelopefrom the pick-up station.

A pair of transport belts 128, 129 are positioned in front of and belowseparating station 69 for conveying the envelopes out of the machineafter their contents have been removed. Belt 128 is trained aboutpulleys 131-134, and belt 129 is trained about pulleys 136-138 and 134.Each of the belts has a vertical run 139 and a horizontal run 141, andthe belts are positioned back-to-back in these runs, with the envelopesbeing carried between the back-to-back portions of the belts. The emptyenvelopes are discharged by belts 128, 129 in a horizontal directionthrough an opening 142 in the lower front panel 19 of cabinet 16. Awastebasket or other suitable receptacle (not shown) can be positionedin front of the cabinet to collect the envelopes.

A verifier station 144 is positioned toward the discharge end oftransport belts 128, 129 to verify that the contents have in fact beenremoved from the envelopes before the envelopes are discharged from themachine. As best illustrated in FIG. 8, the verifier comprises a pair ofgauging rollers 146, 147 between which the envelopes pass as they arecarried along the horizontal run 141 of belts 128, 129. Roller 146 ismounted in a stationary position on the frame of the machine, and roller147 is mounted on a pivot arm 148 for deflection in accordance with thethickness of the material passing between the two rollers. The pivot armhas an elongated flag 149, and the deflection of roller 147 is monitoredby an optical sensor 151 at the free end of flag 149. The arm pivotsabout a pin 152, and the optical sensor is mounted on a carriage 153,the position of which can be adjusted relative to the free end of flag149 by a lead screw 154. The position of the sensor is adjusted so thatthe flag blocks the passage of light to the sensor when rollers 146, 147are separated by a distance no greater than the thickness of an envelopepanel. When the rollers are separated by a greater distance, the flaguncovers the sensor, and a signal is produced by the sensor.

As discussed more fully hereinafter, the duration of the signal fromsensor 151 is monitored to detect the presence of contents anddistinguish them from other variations in thickness such as seams in theenvelopes. In this regard, the contents are generally wider than theseams, and they cause the flag to remain out of the light path longerthan seams do. Therefore, by monitoring the duration of the signals fromsensor 151, it is possible to distinguish between contents and seams inthe envelopes without having to try to set the machine up to anticipatewhere the seams may occur in a given envelope.

A main drive motor 155 is mounted below cutting station 39 andextracting station 69, with a drive pulley 155a mounted on its outputshaft. A drive belt 156 is trained about the drive pulley and a pulley157 mounted on a cutter drive shaft 158. This shaft extends laterally ofthe machine beneath the cutting station, and the elongated drive pulleys61 for the cutter assemblies are mounted on this shaft.

A general power distribution belt 159 is trained about a drive pulley161 on shaft 158 and about an idler pulley 162, a single turn clutch 163mounted on extractor shaft 73, a pulley 164 mounted on envelopetransport drive shaft 166, and a single turn clutch 167 mounted on afeeder drive shaft 168. Shaft 73 rotates one turn each time clutch 163is actuated. This clutch is of known design, and it is actuatedelectrically in response to an optical sensor 169 which detects thearrival of an envelope at the extractor station. The drive pulleys 138for envelope transport belts 128, 129 are affixed to shaft 166 and aredriven continuously by belt 159.

Single turn clutch 167 is similar to clutch 163, and it rotates feederdrive shaft 168 one turn each time it is actuated. This clutch isactuated in response to a signal from sensors 123, 124 when the contentsfrom an envelope are removed from the pick-up station and the outer endof the output conveyor.

A drive belt 172 is trained about a drive pulley 173 on feeder driveshaft 168 and about a pulley 174 on a feeder shaft 176 and about anidler pulley 177. Drive sprockets 48 are mounted on shaft 176, and theconveyor chains are thus driven through one cycle each time clutch 167is actuated.

Feed rollers 37 are driven by a belt 179 which is trained about a drivepulley 182 on shaft 176 and about a pulley 183 mounted on a shaft 184,which is the shaft on which feed rollers 37 are mounted. Being drivenfrom shaft 176, the feed rollers are rotated one turn each time clutch167 is actuated.

Pinch rollers 42, 43 are driven continuously by a belt 186 trained aboutpulleys 187, 188. Pulley 187 is mounted on cutter drive shaft 158, andpulley 188 is mounted on a shaft 189 with pinch rollers 43. Chainsprockets 47 are rotatively mounted on shaft 189 and rotate only whenthe conveyor chains are actuated. Scrubber rollers 97 are driven by abelt 191 which is trained about pulleys 192 and 193. Pulleys 192 aremounted on a laterally extending shaft 194, and pulley 193 is affixed tothe scrubber roller shaft 98. Two of the pulleys 136 about whichenvelope transport belts 129 are trained are also mounted on shaft 194,and the scrubber rollers are thus driven through the transport belts.

Push button switches 196-198 are mounted on output conveyor 17 atpick-up station 112 to control the operation of the machine. Switch 196is a FEED START switch which, through suitable logic circuits (notshown), controls feed clutch 167. Switch 197 is a MOTOR START switchwhich is connected to a motor controller 199 to turn on drive motor 155when depressed. A main power ON/OFF switch 200 controls the applicationof power to the vacuum pump, other control circuits, and the conveyorinput and output belt motors. Input belt motor 107 is further controlledby FEED START switch 196 and content sensors 123, 124 on the outputconveyor. Switch 198 is a STOP switch which is connected to the motorcontroller and turns off drive motor 155 when depressed.

A jam sensor 201 is connected to motor controller 199 to turn off thedrive motor in the event that a jam occurs in the machine. This sensorincludes an optical sensor positioned near the top of output chute 96which provides an interrupt signal to the controller in the event thatan envelope or its contents should remain in this area for more than apredetermined time. Operation of the feed clutch is also inhibited inthe event that there are no envelopes in the input stack, as determinedby an optical sensor 202 at the input station.

The drive motor is also turned off in the event that contents are foundto be present in a supposedly empty envelope carried by transport belts128, 129. In this regard, the output of thickness sensor 151 ismonitored by a comparator 203 which delivers an inhibit signal to themotor controller in the event that the sensor signal is present for morethan a predetermined time, as set by a timer 204. At the same time, thecomparator actuates an alarm 206 to provide an audible warning to theoperator that the contents have not been removed from an envelope. Thepredetermined time is set to be greater than the time it normally takesfor the seams of an envelope to pass between gauging wheels 146, 147.

An optical sensor 211 monitors the position of feeder shaft 168 andprovides a signal when the machine is in the rest position. This signalis utilized by the motor controller to return the machine to the restposition when the machine is stopped and started.

Operation and use of the machine, and therein the method of theinvention, are as follows. The machine is positioned in a convenientlocation near a work station, and output conveyor 17 is positioned sothat pick-up station 112 is positioned within easy reach of an operatorat the work station. The pick-up station can, for example, by positionedjust above the top of a desk at the work station.

A stack of envelopes 31 is provided at the input station. Before beingstacked, the envelopes are cut open along one edge thereof (e.g., thetop edge or the bottom edge), and the envelopes are placed in the stackwith the cut edges facing toward the front of the machine and thecontents of the envelopes (e.g., checks, payment coupons, etc.) stillbetween the front and rear panels of the envelopes. Main power switch199 is actuated to turn on vacuum pump 82. MOTOR START switch 197 isdepressed to turn on drive motor 155 and output belt motor 108. Whenthese motors are turned on, pinch rollers 42, 43 turn continuously, asdo scrubbing rollers 97, transport belts 128, 129 and conveyor belt 103.

To initiate the feeding of an envelope, the operator depresses FEEDSTART switch 196, which actuates feeder clutch 167. This causes feedrollers 37 to rotate one revolution, feeding the envelope from thebottom of the input stack in a forward direction. As the envelope movesforward, it is fed to the "ready" position above conveyor chains 46 bypinch rollers 42, 43 which rotate continuously.

Actuation of feeder clutch 67 also causes conveyor chains 46 to travelthrough one cycle. As the chains rotate, lugs 44 move from the restposition, illustrated in full lines in FIGS. 2 and 10, into engagementwith the trailing edge of the envelope, as illustrated in phantom linesin these two figures. Thereafter, as the chains continue to travel thelugs push the envelope 31' in a forward direction toward cutting station39.

As the envelope reaches the cutting station, pinch rollers 51, 52continue to feet it in the forward direction, and cutting wheels 53, 54trim the ends off the envelope. The pieces which are cut off the ends ofthe envelopes drop onto chaff chute 67 and are carried out of themachine to a wastebasket or other suitable receptacle positioned to therear of the machine.

When the envelope leaves the cutting station, it has been trimmed alongits leading edge and along the adjacent side or end edges. Thus, thefront and rear panels of the envelope are joined together only along thetrailing edge, and the contents are still between the panels.

As the opened envelope moves toward the extractor station, it isdetected by sensor 169, clutch 163 is actuated to rotate shaft 73 andthe extraction rollers. As the envelope enters the separating station,segmented rollers 71 and suction cups 72 are oriented as shown in FIG.10. Shaft 73 rotates in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 10,and the envelope and contents are feed through the extraction station bythe central segmented roller 71 and pinch roller 93. As the envelopepasses between the rollers, both the envelope and its contents tend tobe corrugated by crowned rollers 91, as illustrated in FIG. 11.

As shaft 73 starts to rotate, suction cups 72 move into engagement withthe lower panel of the envelope, and vacuum is applied to the suctioncups. As the shaft continues to rotate, the suction cups pull the lowerpanel 31a of the envelope in a downward direction away from the upperpanel 31b and the contents 31c, as illustrated in FIG. 12. Thecorrugating action of rollers 91 imparts some rigidity to the upperpanel and the contents, and they tend to travel in a straight direction,passing above scrubbing rollers 98.

As the trailing edge of the envelope moves past the nip formed betweenrollers 71, 93, the contents are free to drop down output chute 96. Theclockwise rotation of the scrubbing rollers (as viewed in FIG. 12) helpsto separate the contents from the upper panel of the envelope.

The contents which drop down output chute 96 drop onto conveyor belt102. This belt remains in a stationary position as long as the contentsfrom a previous envelope are present at pick-up station 112. When thecontents are removed from the pick-up station, belt 102 is actuated tocarry the contents from the discharge chute to belt 103. Belt 103 runscontinuously, carrying the contents to the pickup station. The removalof contents from the pickup station also actuated feeder clutch 167 tocause another envelope to be fed through the machine from input stack31.

Since belt 102 remains stationary as the contents drop onto it, all ofthe contents from a given envelope should arrive at the pick-up stationtogether even though they may drop down the discharge chute at differenttimes. Thus, for example, if an envelope contains both a payment couponand a check, the coupon and the check should be presented to theoperator together at the pick-up station.

While the contents from an envelope drop down the pick-up chute, theleading edge of the lower panel of the envelope passes between pinchrollers 94 and the segment rollers and is captured between transportbelts 128, 129, as illustrated in FIG. 13. As the envelope is drawnbetween the belts, the vacuum is released from the suction cups, and theflat sides 76 of the segmented rollers come around to release theenvelope from pinch rollers 94.

As the envelope travels between belts 128, 129 toward the dischargeopening 142 in the front panel of the machine, it passes between thegauging rollers at verifier station 144. If contents are detected atthis station, the drive motor is turned off, and an alarm is sounded,advising the operator to check the envelope at the output window forcontents. If no contents are detected, the motor continues to operate,and the empty envelope drops into a receptacle at the front of themachine.

The machine is thus fully controlled by the operator, and it presentsthe operator with the complete set of contents from one envelope at atime on a demand basis. In this regard, it will be noted that each timethe operator removes the contents of one envelope from the pick-upstation, the machine is actuated to deliver the contents from anotherenvelope to the operator.

It is apparent from the foregoing that a new and improved machine andmethod for extracting contents from envelopes have been provided. Whileonly certain presently preferred embodiments have been described indetail, as will be apparent to those familiar with the art, certainchanges and modifications can be made without departing from the scopeof the invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A machine for extracting contents from envelopes andpresenting the contents to an operator at a work station positioned toone side of the machine, comprising an input station for holding a stackof envelopes, a cutting station, means for feeding the envelopes one ata time from the input station to the cutting station, means at thecutting station for severing the envelopes along edge portions thereofto provide access to the contents, a separating station, means fortransporting the envelopes from the cutting station to the separatingstation, means at the separating station for separating the contentsfrom the envelopes, output conveyor means extending laterally from themachine for receiving the contents from the separating station, carryingthe contents along a horizontally extending path to the work station,and presenting the contents to the operator at the work station, anddrive means for driving said output conveyor means.
 2. The machine ofclaim 1 including sensor means for detecting the removal of contentsfrom the conveyor means at the work station, and means responsive to thesensor means for actuating the conveyor means to carry the contents froma second envelope to the work station and present the contents from saidsecond envelope to the operator when the contents from a first envelopeare removed.
 3. The machine of claim 1 wherein the conveyor meansincludes a first belt positioned to receive the contents from theseparating station, a pick-up station where the contents are presentedto the operator at the work station, a second belt which extends betweenthe first belt and the pick-up station, and means responsive to removalof contents from the pick-up station for actuating the first belt todeliver additional contents from the separating station to the secondbelt for delivery to the pick-up station.
 4. The machine of claim 1wherein the envelopes have front and rear panels, the contents arepositioned between the front and rear panels as the envelopes enter theseparating station, and the means for separating the contents from theenvelopes includes corrugating rollers engagable with the panels forimparting a stiffness to the panels and to the contents, and means fordrawing one of the panels away from the other.
 5. The machine of claim 4wherein the corrugating rollers include a first shaft, a plurality ofsegmented rollers mounted on the first shaft, a second shaft which isspaced from and generally parallel to the first shaft, and a pluralityof rollers mounted on the second shaft.
 6. The machine of claim 4wherein the means for separating the contents from the envelope furtherincludes a pair of belts for receiving the one of the panels which isdrawn away from the other and carrying the envelope away from thecontents.
 7. The machine of claim 1 including means for checking theenvelopes leaving the separating station to verify that the contentshave been removed.
 8. The machine of claim 7 wherein the means forchecking the envelopes includes a gauging element positioned to bedisplaced by an amount corresponding to the thickness of an envelopeleaving the separating station, and means responsive to the position ofthe gauging element for determining whether the gauging element isdisplaced by a predetermined amount for a predetermined time.
 9. Amachine for extracting contents from envelopes and presenting theextracted contents to an operator, comprising an input station forholding a stack of envelopes, a cutting station, means for feeding theenvelopes one at a time from the input station to the cutting station,means at the cutting station for severing the envelopes along edgeportions thereof to provided access to the contents, a separatingstation, an output chute, means for transporting the envelopes from thecutting station to the separating station, means at the separatingstation for separating the contents from the envelopes and deliveringthe contents to the output chute, a normally stationary first conveyorwhich is positioned beneath the chute for receiving the contents fromthe separating station, a pick-up station, a second conveyor whichoperates continuously between the first conveyor and the pick-up stationfor delivering the contents from the first conveyor to the pick-upstation, a sensor for detecting the presence/absence of contents at thepick-up station, and means responsive to the sensor for actuating thefirst conveyor to deliver contents from successive envelopes to thesecond conveyor for delivery to the pick-up station upon removal of thecontents from the pick-up station.
 10. The machine of claim 9 whereinthe envelopes have front and rear panels, the contents are positionedbetween the front and rear panels as the envelopes enter the separatingstation, and the means for separating the contents from the envelopesincludes corrugating rollers engagable with the panels for imparting astiffness to the panels and to the contents, and means engagable fordrawing one of the panels and away from the other.
 11. The machine ofclaim 10 wherein the corrugating rollers include a first shaft, aplurality of segmented rollers mounted on the first shaft, a secondshaft which is spaced from and generally parallel to the first shaft,and a plurality of rollers mounted on the second shaft.
 12. The machineof claim 10 wherein the means for separating the contents from theenvelope further includes a pair of belts for receiving the one of thepanels which is drawn away from the other and carrying the envelope awayfrom the contents.
 13. The machine of claim 9 including means forchecking the envelopes leaving the separating station to verify that thecontents have been removed.
 14. The machine of claim 13 wherein themeans for checking the envelopes includes a gauging element positionedto be displaced by an amount corresponding to the thickness of anenvelope leaving the separating station, and means responsive to theposition of the gauging element for determining whether the gaugingelement is displaced by a predetermined amount for a predetermined time.15. The machine of claim 9 wherein the first conveyor and the secondconveyor each include a conveyor belt.
 16. The machine of claim 9wherein the means responsive to the sensor also includes means foractuating the means for feeding the envelopes from the input station tothe cutting station.
 17. The machine of claim 9 wherein the meansresponsive to the sensor also includes means for actuating the means fortransporting envelopes with contents to the separating station.
 18. Amachine for extracting contents from envelopes which have been severedalong edge portions thereof and presenting the extracted contents to anoperator at a work station positioned to one side of the machine,comprising a separating station, means for supplying the severedenvelopes to the separating station, means for supplying the severedenvelopes to the separating station, means at the separating station forseparating the contents from the envelopes, output conveyor meansextending laterally from the machine for receiving the contents from theseparating station, carrying the contents along a horizontally extendingpath to the work station, and presenting the contents to the operator atthe work station, and drive means for driving said output conveyormeans.
 19. The machine of claim 18 including sensor means for detectingthe removal of contents from the conveyor means at the work station, andmeans responsive to the sensor means for actuating the conveyor means tocarry the contents from a second envelope to the work station andpresent the contents from said second envelope to the operator when thecontents from a first envelope are removed from the conveyor means. 20.The machine of claim 18 wherein the conveyor means includes a first beltpositioned to receive the contents from the separating station, apick-up station where the contents are presented to the operator at thework station, a second belt which travels between the first belt and thepick-up station, and means responsive to removal of contents from thepick-up station for actuating the first belt to deliver additionalcontents from the separating station to the second belt for delivery tothe pick-up station.
 21. A machine for extracting contents fromenvelopes and presenting the extracted contents to an operator,comprising a separating station, means for supplying envelopes withcontents to the separating station, means at the separating station forseparating the contents from the envelopes, a normally stationary firstconveyor for receiving the contents from the separating station, apick-up station, a continuously moving second conveyor extending betweenthe first conveyor and the pick-up station for delivering the contentsfrom the first conveyor to the pick-up station, a sensor for detectingthe presence/absence of contents at the pick-up station, and meansresponsive to the sensor for actuating the first conveyor to delivercontents from successive envelopes to the second conveyor for deliveryto the pick-up station upon removal of the contents from the pick-upstation.
 22. The machine of claim 21 wherein the first conveyor and thesecond conveyor each include a conveyor belt.
 23. The machine of claim21 wherein the means responsive to the sensor includes means foractuating the means for supplying envelopes with contents to theseparating station upon removal of the contents from the pick-upstation.
 24. The machine of claim 21 including a gauging element adaptedto be displaced by an amount corresponding to the thickness of anenvelope in contact therewith, means for feeding the envelopes from theseparating station one at a time past the gauging element at apredetermined speed so that each envelope contacts the gauging elementand deflects it in accordance with the thickness of the envelope and anycontents therein as it moves past the gauging element, and meansresponsive to the position of the gauging element for providing anoutput signal in the event that the gauging element is displaced by apredetermined amount for a predetermined time.
 25. The machine of claim24 wherein the means for providing an output signal includes a sensorwhich provides a signal when the gauging element is displaced by thepredetermined amount and means responsive to the sensor signal forproviding the output signal when the sensor signal is present for morethan the predetermined time.
 26. A machine positioned to one side of awork station for extracting contents from envelopes and presenting thecontents to an operator at the work station, comprising an input stationfor holding a stack of envelopes, a cutting station, means for feedingthe envelopes one at a time from the input station to the cuttingstation, means at the cutting station for severing the envelopes alongedge portions thereof to provide access to the contents, a separatingstation, means for transporting the envelopes from the cutting stationto the separating station, means at the separating station forseparating the contents from the envelopes, an output conveyor mountedin cantilevered fashion on the machine and extending in a horizontaldirection toward the work station with no supporting structure beneaththe conveyor at the work station, said conveyor having an input endpositioned to receive the contents from the separating station and anoutput end positioned at the work station, and being adapted forcarrying the contents to the work station and presenting the contents tothe operator at the work station, and drive means for driving saidoutput conveyor.
 27. A machine positioned to one side of a work stationfor extracting contents from envelopes which have been severed alongedge portions thereof and presenting the extracted contents to anoperator at the work station, comprising a separating station, means forsupplying the severed envelopes to the separating station, means forsupplying the severed envelopes to the separating station, means at theseparating station for separating the contents from the envelopes, anoutput conveyor mounted in cantilevered fashion on the machine andextending in a horizontal direction toward the work station with nosupporting structure beneath the conveyor at the work station, saidconveyor having an input end positioned to receive the contents from theseparating station and an output end positioned at the work station, andbeing adapted for carrying the contents to the work station andpresenting the contents to the operator at the work station, and drivemeans for driving said output conveyor.